Supervisors weigh vote on dump truck rollover plan

Published 2:04 pm Thursday, February 12, 2026

Lauderdale County supervisors are weighing a plan to sell off the county’s fleet of dump trucks and purchase new ones as they look to begin a rollover plan to keep equipment working.

Road Manager Rush Mayatt said his department currently has 13 dump trucks and five trucks used to haul low-boy trailers carrying equipment. The plan, he said, is to sell off the 13 dump trucks at an auction in September and purchase new trucks to replace them.

“The idea behind this, behind this program is basically that you buy the correct trucks, roll them out at the correct time, which is the one to two year mark, that you basically can operate these trucks for free,” he said.

Mayatt said he will ask supervisors to authorize advertising for bids Monday to buy the new trucks, which would put them arriving at county barns in July or August. That will give his crews time to get the necessary insurance and paperwork in order before the old trucks head to auction.

Following the initial purchase, Mayatt said the plan will be to auction off the county’s trucks every two years, keeping fresh vehicles in the fleet while selling the equipment when it still has high resale value. Supervisors previously heard from JM Woods Auction about the process and a guaranteed minimum return the auction company provides.

For the county’s current trucks, the guaranteed minimum return is approximately $1.7 million, with the vehicles expected to bring more in the September sale.

A key part of the rollover plan depends on the county purchasing vehicles with the highest resale value and not necessarily the least expensive. A representative from JM Woods Auction told supervisors Mack and Kenworth trucks sell for much more at the resale auction than some other brands.

Supervisors Josh Todd said that is reflected in the minimums guaranteed by the auction house. A 2023 Mack with higher mileage is guaranteed for a higher amount than a 2025 International truck, he said.

While the rollover plan is expected to reduce the county’s overall costs for trucks, the first year is expected to be a financial blow. Mayatt said the $1.7 million guaranteed minimum is still approximately $1.1 million short of what the county can expect to pay for new equipment.

Supervisor J.J. Anders said the upfront cost is expensive, but the longterm benefit to the county is worth it.

“The first step’s the hardest, but you’ve got to do it,” he said.

If all goes smoothly with the dump trucks this year, Mayatt said he will look to roll over the five low-boy trucks in 2027.

In other business, supervisors are expected to vote Monday to accept a grant from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to help the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department get a K-9 unit. Sheriff Ward Calhoun said the grant will cover half of the total amount, which was $79,049.80. Funding for the grant program comes from the sale of black car tags, he said.